Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2025

Investigating the Relationship between Sea Surface Chlorophyll and Major Features of the South China Sea with Satellite Information
Published on: June 13, 2020
Composition and spatial-temporal dynamics of phytoplankton community shaped by environmental selection and
Shuya Liu1, Zongmei Cui2, Yongfang Zhao3
1CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266200, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
Abstract:
The Jiaozhou Bay as a model marine ecosystem in China has been intensively investigated over the last 90 years. However, detailed phytoplankton community composition, spatial-temporal dynamics, and its assembly mechanism were still unclear. To address these, we systematically examined the composition and spatial-temporal dynamics of phytoplankton in the Jiaozhou Bay through high-throughput sequencing of 18S rDNA V4. Analysis of 468 samples from 12 sampling sites over one full year revealed much higher phytoplankton diversity than previous reports, and strong seasonal succession patterns. Some phytoplankton also showed spatial variations, although the phytoplankton community didn't show significant distance-decay pattern. Environmental factors (especially temperature), species-species interrelationships and unique resting stages were uncovered to be the main contributors instead of stochastic process in shaping the phytoplankton community assembly. The overwhelming positive correlations between phytoplankton and other protists suggested that coevolution might be critical in this marine ecosystem. Complementary distributions of different amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) of same genera, such as Skeletonema marinoi (ASV_2) and Skeletonema tropicum (ASV_263) of the genus Skeletonema, suggested that phytoplankton have evolved differentially to exploit a wide range of ecological niches. This study laid a solid foundation for asertaining phytoplankton composition and spatial-temporal dynamics in temperate seawaters and mechanisms underlying phytoplankton community assembly, allowing in-depth studies of marine ecology.
More Related Videos
08:15Author Spotlight: Unveiling Plankton Response to Climate Change Through Time-Series Data and Artistic Expression
Published on: July 28, 2023
05:04Author Spotlight: Understanding Riverine Nitrogen Impacts and Primary Productivity for Effective Nutrient Management
Published on: July 14, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Primary Production
Frequency-dependent Selection
Speciation Rates
Diversity of Protists IV
Diversity of Protists II
Diversity of Protists III